WhatsApp is one of the most widely used messaging platforms in the world and has the most diverse user base. It gives businesses a channel through which they can connect with a large group of audiences through a medium they are already available on.
Keeping this in mind, WhatsApp launched another variant of its flagship, WhatsApp Business in 2018. WhatsApp Business has been designed specifically keeping the needs of businesses in mind and offers essential features enabling businesses of all kinds and sizes to sell and provide customer services through it. All a business requires is a verified account on WhatsApp Business, and they are ready to sell to customers all over the world.
But how does a business get their account verified on WhatsApp Business? But before we head there let’s understand the types of business accounts on WhatsApp Business.
Types of Business Accounts on Whatsapp Business
There are two types of accounts that you can have on WhatsApp Business.
Basic Business Account:
A basic version of the WhatsApp Business account is the one that any business can create for themselves directly or through a WhatsApp Business Provider.
Every business on WhatsApp Business is a basic business account.
Official WhatsApp Business Account:
An official WhatsApp Business Account is one that has a green tick mark against the business name. Only a few businesses get the green tick badge by WhatsApp upon fulfilling certain criteria.
Here are the criteria for earning a green tick:
i. Your business has to be a reputable company. Only 10% of top companies in the world have been eligible for the green badge.
ii. You must be using WhatsApp API Approved Business Account and enable 2 Step Authentication.
iii. Facebook Business Manager should be verified by Facebook
iv. It is recommended that you are in Tier 2 or above messaging level
Steps to Get An Account Verified on WhatsApp Business
Before you can sign up and earn your green batch on WhatsApp Business, there are a few prerequisites that you must take care of.
Prerequisites
1 . In order to get your account verified, you need to have a phone number. You can either use your mobile phone or landline (fixed) number for it.
2. Make sure that the phone number that you use to create your account and want to get verified is in an active state. You will need it to receive verification phone calls or SMS.
3. Also, you need to ensure that all call blockings, security apps, or task-killer apps are in disable mode. This can restrict incoming messages or calls from WhatsApp or mark them as spam.
4. The last thing you need to ensure is that you have a stable network connection, mobile data, or Wi-Fi If you’re verifying through your mobile phone. If you are having a poor network or are on a roaming network with inconsistent network signals, your verification process may get delayed or interrupted. If you’re verifying through a landline, tap Call me to request a phone call to receive your verification code.
Steps to verify your account:
1 . As the first step, you need to get access to WhatsApp Business API through WhatsApp Business service providers like SocialEpoch and install it on your device.
2. Once the app is installed, click on the ‘Agree and Continue’ button to proceed with the Sign-in. sign in by entering your phone number. If you are already using WhatsApp Messenger, it will automatically detect your number and ask you if you want to use it.
3. You can choose your country code from the drop-down list and you need not enter it again while providing your phone number. You simply have to enter your 10 digit mobile number or 6 digit landline number without any prefixes.
For example, if you have a number from India say 9123456789, you don’t have to add ‘0’ or ’91’ while entering your mobile number. The same applies to landline numbers as well.
4. Click ‘Next’ to proceed with the verification process. You will be prompted to enter a verification code. You can either request a verification code through SMS or via a phone call. Once you receive your 6-digit verification code, you can enter them to Tap Next to receive a verification code. If prompted, you can also tap Call me to receive the code via phone call.
And with that, you now have a verified Business account on WhatsApp Business account. You can go to ‘Settings’ to fill in all details of your business such as business name, opening hours, address, product information, etc.
How to Apply For Green Tick On WhatsApp Business Account
To apply for a green tick for your business account, you first need to apply for WhatsApp API access through a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP) such as SocialEpoch.
Once you have the PI access, you can request your service provider to apply for the green tick.
Your application may be rejected by WhatsApp if you fail to fulfill the criteria mentioned above.
There are certain businesses, that are not eligible for the green tick such as businesses dealing with the following products:
- Tobacco Items
- Gambling Businesses
- Alcohol Brands
- Weapons & Ammunition Businesses
- Live Animals
- Adult Product/Services
- Medical & Healthcare Products
- Dating Services
- Cryptocurrencies
Whether you earn a green Tick or not, it does not have any difference in the functionality of your business account. You can still access all the features of the WhatsApp Business API even without a green tick. You can learn more about the application fees here or contact us to talk to our sales executive for more information about SocialEpoch.